Books

Available from Simon Pulse

About the Book:

When shy bookworm Marion Taylor meets sexy soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, what seems like a sure thing turns into a total mess. One minute they’re alone in the middle of the lake, igniting sparks of electricity. And the next they’re on dry land, pretending they don’t even know each other. But rather than the end, that night is the beginning of something. Something real and terrifying and unforgettable.

As Marion and Kurt struggle to build the fragile pieces of a relationship, every kiss uncovers memories both of them would rather stay buried. Marion desperately wants to trust him, to share the one secret she’s never told anyone – but some truths aren’t meant to be spoken aloud. While Kurt is still haunted by his mother’s death, by the people he hurt, and by the mistakes he can never take back. Explosive together and hollow apart, Marion and Kurt may be totally wrong for each other – or more right than they ever thought possible.

Reviews of All We Left Behind:

“A poetic and tumultuous tale of love and loss that will appeal to fans of both realistic fiction and romance.” (School Library Journal)

“Ingrid Sundberg has a rare talent for writing heartfelt stories that readers will sink into. Powerful and poignant, honest and tender, with beautifully textured characters, All We Left Behind is a gem of a book.” (A.M. Jenkins, author of Printz Honor Book REPOSSESSED)

“The heart of this book lies in its wonderfully complex characters. Sundberg is a master at crafting flawed, vulnerable, realistic characters. Each moment, each thought feels honest and deliberate, and as a result there is such life in the pages, an almost intangible ache that lives between each careful word. All We Left Behind perfectly pinpoints what it is to be a teenager today. To search for a straight path in a crooked and confusing world.” (Cora Carmack, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author)

“A realistic love story about two broken pieces and their struggle to become whole. Artfully crafted, All We Left Behind guarantees that Ingrid Sundberg’s name is one you won’t soon forget.” (Julie Murphy, author of DUMBLIN’)

“The pair’s sexual tension can’t be denied, and its eventual resolution is steamy and honest in its vulnerability … Older teens will be deeply moved by this romantic drama and its pairing of sensuality and grief.” (Kirkus)

“An honest, frank, and appealing romance.” (Booklist)

All We Left Behind Book Excerpt:

Kurt
Halfway down the corridor I see Marion. Button down shirt. Blond hair. My feet slow to watch her pile her books up one by one, and it strikes me that she’s not the kind of girl I would ever pay attention to. She’s good looking, sure, but smart. The kind of smart that outweighs the good-looking part. I have to resist the urge to lean against her locker and mention how I couldn’t stop thinking about her wet, dripping body. I’d love to watch her face if I said that. That would get the smart to quiver right on out of her. Not that it’s the smart that scares me. Not that she’s the type of girl who could scare me at all.

Marion
Kurt Medford: Soccer captain. Gorgeous. Out of my league. He’s the kind of guy you watch from afar, tawny haired, beautiful; he’s not someone you actually speak to. There’s something intangible about him. He has that ability to slip in and out of the light, like a mirage you aren’t sure is real. But when he’s there in front of you, he’s there – sturdy and brilliant. It’s his grace, startling and unexpected, that steals the air out from under your feet. It’s as if you never really see Kurt, until he chooses to be seen.